Online Land Planning: Recent Comments

Comment on Clustered Neighborhood Home Offices (NHO)

Caryn — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 21:09:27 GMT

Hi Rick - this is a very interesting concept - do you have anything that would give a visual as to how this would be integrated into a community? I would have some of the same questions as the post above with regard to governance and management, although my assumption would be that as it is part of each individual's mortgage, that the HOA dues and responsibility for maintenance, would fall upon the individual as well, and would be an added cost center assessment to their monthly HOA dues.

Comment on Charter Schools - A Worthy Tenant for Empty Department Stores

George King — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 23:31:03 GMT

The air gap above these large box stores would be large enough to support an thermal energy system (CH&P) to power as well as heat and cool the modified space. This renewable power system could turn into curriculum that would enhance the schools educational component.

Comment on Charter Schools - A Worthy Tenant for Empty Department Stores

Ellen — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 23:05:03 GMT

Interesting article - charter schools are definately an alternative use for developers to consider.

Comment on Clustered Neighborhood Home Offices (NHO)

Brant Meyer — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 20:02:49 GMT

Rick,

Great Post. I've read some recent articles here in Charlottesville that focus around shared office spaces - where freelance writers, web designers and the like all pitch in for shared office space and a collaborative environment, even though they work independently.

What's interesting about your post is changing that model and having it part of a neighborhood or mixed use area. I think a lot of innovation in affordable housing and mixed income areas will come from an evolving type of property ownership. The NHO touches on that briefly. Until we expand the scope of how a property can be owned, leased or rented - we get stuck in the same market dynamics that shape a separation in work, living and recreation areas. Hopefully the NHO has a chance to bring that closer together.

In closing, do you have any information on neighborhoods where these types of offices actually exist? I'm just curious how they're structured in terms of governance and property management. Having spent too many years as a community association manager, I know that these types of communal situations ARE NOT cheaper to the individual unless people are volunteering their TIME AND MONEY. If people just want a building to be professionally managed, pay their dues, and have someone else fix the leaky toilets - your better off just renting an office. The key to these types of things is living in an actual community. And I've found that proximity, doesn't make community. The people do.

Keep up the great posts!

Comment on Urban Recreation - A Whole New Game

Brant Meyer — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 02:04:20 GMT

Rick,

To answer your question - yes. Frisbee golf. Great recreational opportunity on much smaller segments of land including unused wooded areas of existing parks.

Comment on We’re Catching On.

barry howard — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 20:45:08 GMT

Next step Roget"s Thesaurus!

Comment on We’re Catching On.

lispp — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 19:25:52 GMT

Dear Mr. Abelson,
I am glad to see that the use of simple technology to help evaluate and develop land in a sustainable manner can be achieved using the internet. I live in a remote region of the country and without the benefit of the internet and all its advantages - I would be lost. Good luck with Online Land Planning and using your creative skills to help the world. I admire what you are doing.

Regards,
Lispp

Comment on Land Auctions Need to Get a Lot Better in Order to Help Us Get Out of the Recession

Billy Burke — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 17:53:32 GMT

Rick:

I totally agree that the standard of real estate auctions can and should be raised.

As Jim Ford pointed out the biggest obstacle is the expense involved.

Personally I am the first real estate auctioneer to publish a price list so that sellers can decide what they want in an auction.

The biggest problem with auctions is the sellers.

You see most sellers think they are "smarter" than the marketplace so they put minimums or reserve prices on property.

Sophisticated buyers who are in a position to write a six, seven or eight figure check think that reserve auctions are a waste of time and not worth attending.

Auctions with published minimum bids simply do not work unless the prices are so low as to be suspect.

Then they (published minimum or reserves) create a low level of expectations in the minds of potential buyers artifically holding down the price.

Why? Because the seller thought they were smarter than the auctioneer or the marketplace.

As to publishing results that is a great idea, as a matter of fact it has been incorporated into the National Auctioneers Association, AuctionMLS system.

http://www.naarealestateauctions.com/consumer/index/mls

The system has been live for less than 6-months so there is really no meaningful data available.

Themes and consistency are a corporate decision based upon the individual company. Again this is back to who is going to pay for the marketing?

Right now its amateur hour for real estate auctions with realtors getting into the mix doing what they "think" an auction should be, thus giving the industry a very bad name.

Land planning projections are a great idea. I have sold lots of property where we had the advantage of having developer plans, artist conceptions, dioramas and the like. The main factor is cost & expense of who will pay for these projections; it’s not fair to ask the auction company to spend tens of thousands of dollars on land use plans for a seller who is “smarter than the market” and has demanded a minimum or reserve price.

The way my company has overcome that is by preparing s Digital Bidder Information Package (DIGIBIP) that potential buyers download from the internet.

With raw land we obtain a copy of the county zoning ordinances with all of the acceptable uses and include it in the due diligence along with site maps, topos, aerials, soil maps, etc. When selling subdivided land the use has usually been established so there is no need for anything more than the restrictions of record and the usual documentation.

Yes I agree that the Industry Standard for real estate auctions needs to be raised, which is why the tag line for my company is…

The Industry Standard.

Because we have raised the bar from coast to coast.

Comment on New Urbanism Is Dead

Kipp Gillian — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 21:05:52 GMT

Great article,

I live in Long Beach, California. A city with emmense possibilities but city leaders that seem to fail us every time. Cities that mesh with their environments serve their community better. Cities that have random developments loose all sense of themselves.

Kipp Gillian
www.gessearch.com
www.devconjobs.com

Comment on Land Auctions Need to Get a Lot Better in Order to Help Us Get Out of the Recession

Jim Ford — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 16:23:31 GMT

Since the comments only allows 3000 characters, I will provide a condensed version of my full response at the Auction Community Forum, which I hope everyone will take time to read:
http://www.auctioncommunity.com/index.php?topic=575.msg2863#msg2863

While you may have some good ideas, in some respects, I can't quite agree with the overall consensus of your message. Of course, you would certainly like to be involved in the marketing aspect and have us utilize your services, however, one of the first questions I would propose is "who would pay for this?" After all, according to your website, it appears that your fees start at ~$9000, which could be a sizable chunk of available advertising funds.

An auctioneer is going to utilize the best means of attracting buyers, based on the features of the property and its' target market. The auction method of marketing is quite effective in what is normally achieves, given those variables.

If the Seller is interested in putting out the money to draft "potential" uses for the property, in an effort give buyers ideas on how they might utilize the property, it may help to bring in other potential buyers and might even help to get a better price. However, whether the costs of developing such proposals is worth the "potential" benefit is still questionable.

Now, we have to consider the Auction Method Of Marketing and the "hows" & "whys" of its' effectiveness and who it attracts. While there are some very well-funded people that will attend property auctions, often it must be a chance to either, get an exceptional deal or a prime piece of real estate that is in very high demand, in order to get their attention. This includes both, investors and end-users.

For the general public and "general" investors, it is usually those that are looking to get a "deal" on a property or home. While sometimes, that "deal" may only be a little less than the "market price," it is the lure of an auction that gets them there, in the first place.

If you already own this land and have these plans or have developed properties, then you have features that could certainly aid in developing the marketing materials to attract potential buyers to an auction.

If you are looking for an Auctioneer that can help you put together your own Auction Marketing Plan for such properties, feel free to give me a call and I'll be glad to discuss this with you. If you have clients, that you feel could benefit from the Auction Method of Marketing, we can set up a meeting to discuss this with everyone involved.

Jim Ford
Professional Auctioneer & Auction Marketing for the 21st Century

Texas-National Auctioneers - TX Lic. 12478
Professional Auction Services for Houston & Texas
Auction Marketing for the 21st Century
Estate & Business Liquidation, Real Estate, Charity Fundraisers
http://www.t-na.com
281-479-7848